“Sesame Street” just got a little safer thanks to Elmo. Well, depending on whom you ask.
The beloved furry Muppet received his first jab of the COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday in an effort to get nonpuppet parents to get their young children vaccinated against the deadly virus.
Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind the iconic kids show “Sesame Street,” shared a new public service announcement on Twitter and YouTube.
The now-viral campaign comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded the use of the coronavirus vaccine to children 5-years old and younger earlier this month.
“It’s okay to have questions about COVID-19 vaccines for children!” the tweet is captioned. “Elmo’s dad Louie talked to their pediatrician, and learned that Elmo getting vaccinated is the best way to keep him and his whole neighborhood safe and healthy!”
The now-viral PSA shows the eternal 3-year-old describing the jab as “a little pinch” to his father Louie who questioned the safeness of the vaccine.
“Was it safe? Was it the right decision?” asked Louie.
“I talked to our pediatrician, so I could make the right choice. I learned that Elmo getting vaccinated is the best way to keep himself, our friends, neighbors and everyone else healthy and enjoying the things they love.”
Elmo has since stated that he is “ready for all of the hugs” after getting the jab.
The PSA — which racked up more than 590,000 Twitter views in less than 24 hours — promptly elicited negative reactions from some online commenters.
“Thanks, @sesamestreet for saying parents are allowed to have questions! You then have @elmo aggressively advocate for vaccinating children UNDER 5,” tweeted Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
“I remember when Sesame Street was cool. Now they are just another shill for the mainstream narrative training kids with propaganda,” another naysayer posted.
Meanwhile, this was not the first time “Sesame Street” has been slammed for promoting the COVID-19 vaccine.
Back in November 2021, Big Bird, 6, tweeted that he, too, had received his vaccine, ruffling the feathers of some who said the show was attempting to brainwash children.
The American Medical Association reported on Friday that children 6 months and older should be vaccinated against the deadly coronavirus to protect themselves and others, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
